Connecting the Dots
by bodewell
Summary: Blindsided by the direction of the IAB investigation, Ryan unwittingly opens himself up to Stetler's emotional manipulation. Meanwhile, the team searches for a way to absolve their friend. AU ending to 8.23 "Time Bomb". Teamfic. Gen.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to CSI:Miami.

**AN:** This is an alternate ending to 8.23 "Time Bomb". I felt like there was plenty of opportunity to make this episode angst city for Ryan, unfortunately the writers did not agree. Anyway, there will be spoilers through Season 8, some cursing, and the potential for some h/c. Also, I am not sure how often I will be able to update this fic.

* * *

**Connecting the Dots**

* * *

"You think I had something to do with the bomb?"

"I don't know..."

Out of everything that was going on around him, that was the part that hurt the worst. Not Delko cracking open his brand new Blu-ray player with a pocket knife, not Walter kicking back on his couch like the investigation was a joke, not Natalia standing awkwardly with her eyes averted, not even Horatio's complete absence from the scene altogether held a candle to the fact that Calleigh couldn't say with any certainty that Ryan _had. not. done. this._

Betrayal sliced through him, left him lightheaded and cold inside. It ripped a seam in whatever fabric that was holding him together, and suddenly he was screaming. Screaming at Delko, screaming at Stetler, screaming at the grim-faced officers hauling his stuff away like it was boxed evidence.

_Why didn't anyone believe him?_

Then Eric pulled a diamond out of the player...

And somewhere amidst the panic that coursed through him, the pleas of innocence he shouted at anyone who'd listen, and the humiliation of being escorted to a squad car, he registered the fact that not one of his teammates spoke up on his behalf.

* * *

Eric watched Ryan walk down his front steps, flanked by two patrol officers, as if he were in a haze. Neighbors stretched their necks around the perimeter with their mouths hanging open and their camera phones out, but his friend seemed oblivious, his mind elsewhere.

Rolling the diamond guiltily between his thumb and forefinger, Eric thought he knew exactly where Wolfe's mind was.

"Good eye, Officer Delko," Stetler stage whispered over his shoulder. "You've been very helpful on this investigation."

Eric felt the team's collective eyes burning a hole in his back, as he replaced the diamond where he had found it and snapped a shot of it for the case file. Into the back of the camera, he mumbled, "This isn't right."

"What was that?"

"I said," Eric stood to face the other man, noticing as he did that the team wore the same dazed look that Ryan had, and wondered if he'd see it on himself if he looked in a mirror, "There is no way Wolfe did this."

Stetler huffed out a laugh. "Well, the _evidence_ speaks to the contrary, don't you think?" he gestured to the mess of dissected electronics where the diamonds glittered damningly in the sunlight.

"Then someone's fabricating it." Natalia spoke up suddenly, and as if a spell had been broken, the others shed their shock and voiced their agreement, as well.

Stetler glanced around the room, and something like sympathy or regret flicked briefly across his face as he said, "Look, I can appreciate that you think of Officer Wolfe as a friend, okay? But if you can't remain objective, I'll kick you off the case like that." A snap punctuated the gentle threat.

Walter's fists tightened at his side, and Eric thought he looked like he was about to stomp the IAB Sergeant into the ground. As eager as he was to see that, he wanted to see Wolfe absolved more, so he nodded sharply at Stetler, as if to say that he got the message, and hoped the man would disappear.

"Good, now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to collect our suspect's gun. If that monster is capable of car-bombing an Assistant State Attorney, who knows what he'll do next," and with that, he left to join the officers guarding Wolfe outside.

"He...Ryan had nothing to do with that bomb," Calleigh said firmly to the rest of the team, but there was a pained look on her face, as though she wished she had spoken it several minutes earlier, when Ryan could have benefited from the show of support.

Eric nodded. "The let's prove it," and he got to work.

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Wolfe. Had to make sure your team wouldn't lose the diamonds, _again_. Although, with you in custody, I'm not too concerned." Stetler grinned, obviously very proud of himself, then turned his attention to one of the officers next to him. "'Cuff him, please."

"Are you kidding me?" Ryan was outraged. Even one of the patrol officers made a face at the IAB Sergeant, but he reluctantly followed orders, pulling the young CSI's arms together at the back with far more care than he'd ever show a typical suspect. "This is bullshit," Ryan said quieter, shaking his head in disbelief.

Stetler just led him to a police-issued sedan without acknowledging the comment. "My, my, would you look at the crowd gathering."

Ryan glanced up to see vaguely familiar faces craning closer for the latest bit of gossip, then angled himself away. He worked such long hours that he hadn't really gotten to know many of his neighbors, but it didn't make this whole situation any less mortifying. He was in such a hurry to get out of limelight that he didn't even question Stetler's odd decision to drive him to the station, himself.

"You know, if your team hadn't put together such an airtight case against you, I'd suggest moving, but..." He shrugged his shoulders and left the sentence hanging in favor of buckling his seat belt.

_Your team._

Ryan ignored the sting of those words. "I told you, someone is setting me up! It's not me!"

"Like I said, Wolfe, _airtight_."

"Then they were thorough," he snapped. _Why was it so easy for people to believe he'd killed someone in cold blood?_

"They must have been," Stetler said cheerily. Ryan glared at the back of the driver's seat.

Although the more he turned the evidence over in his head, the more he started to see himself how everyone else saw him: a man grasping at straws; a suspect; _caught_.

After a while, Stetler cleared his throat, and in a more subdued voice, continued the conversation. "I might be more inclined to consider your argument, if you gave me something to go on. Someone who can vouch for your whereabouts."

"An alibi?"

"Yeah, an alibi. You don't happen have one do you?" His tone was offhanded, but the gaze that sought him out through the rearview mirror was so intense, that Ryan believed the other man might actually be concerned for him.

"Of course, I do!" He responded immediately, because _surely he did!_ He spent over twelve hours a day with his team..._who put together the entire case against you, Ryan,_ he reminded himself miserably. And when the workday was done, he went home, he ran errands, he cleaned, and he slept, but he did all of these things _alone_.

"Well," Stetler urged him impatiently.

"I...I need to talk to Horatio," he said finally, sagging back into the seat defeated, not the slightest bit bothered by the handcuffs biting into his wrists.

In the front seat, Stetler let out a slow breath.

* * *

_TBC._


End file.
